How your contract manufacturing partner can improve Design for Manufacturing
Did you know that roughly 70% of a product’s manufacturing cost is determined by design decisions? 70%! Choices made early on, like materials, processes, tooling and complexity have a huge impact down the line. No wonder Design for Manufacturing (DFM) has grown in importance. DFM has three straight-forward goals:
- Streamline manufacturing
- Reduce costs
- Improve (or maintain) quality
Many OEMs have incorporated DFM principles like simplicity, standardization, and material choices into their product design process. These companies often have diverse teams of designers, manufacturing engineers, warehousing and shipping managers, purchasing agents, and marketing professionals to hash out critical DFM concerns and solutions. But what about contract manufacturing partners? They’re often left out of the loop, which is unfortunate, because contract manufacturers live and breathe DFM principles every day. They are intimately involved in producing products, components, and assemblies for OEMS, and their input can benefit the DFM process. Here are four ways your contract manufacturing partners can benefit your DFM efforts:
Knowledge of materials
As manufacturing specialists, contract manufacturers know materials. They understand the nuances of cost, availability, durability, ease of machining, and so on. This deep understanding means your contract manufacturing partner may have suggestions about materials. Suggestions you should listen to.
Expertise in manufacturing processes
Since your contract manufacturing partner’s entire reason for being is about manufacturing, they are well versed in specific processes. Depending on what they’re contracted to produce for you, they may have special expertise in a process that’s outside your company’s capabilities, like plastics molding or PCB manufacture. Their expertise can bring invaluable DFM insights.
Focus on cost savings
A successful contract manufacturer has gone through multiple bid processes in which the goal is to meet OEM specifications at a reasonable price. In other words, producing top quality products cost efficiently is a core skill of contract manufacturing businesses. The focus on cost efficient production can benefit Design for Manufacturing.
Fresh perspective
Your contract manufacturing partner can look at your product, component, or assembly in a new way. Their perspective, as a manufacturing expert, will add fresh insights to your DFM process. Often a contract manufacturer isn’t selected until after the initial design phase has ended and the DFM process wrapped up. Even though your contract manufacturing partner isn't part of your up-front, internal DFM team, don’t discount the benefits they can bring. Once they’re on board, ask for their Design for Manufacturing thought on the assigned project. You may reap substantial benefits.
Choose Wisely
Maveric Automation is a contract manufacturer of both machined parts, PCBs and electromechanical systems. We live and breathe the principles of Design for Manufacturing every day, and we share our expertise in cost efficient production with our customers. When you need a reliable, cost efficient partner to supply high quality components or assemblies, contact Maveric.